Newsletter for A Cause for Paws, Inc., a Non-Profit Companion Animal Rescue Organization
What Is A Cause for Paws?
A Cause for Paws, Inc. (CFP) is a companion animal rescue organization focused on helping unwanted cats and dogs find homes in Cass and neighboring counties. We are financed solely by donations, either monetary or in the form of goods and services.
All animals under the care of CFP are fostered in private homes; we do not maintain a shelter facility. Our foster animals live "underfoot," living as pets in their temporary homes. This arrangement allows CFP the opportunity to learn a great deal about the foster animal. This is why we are able to share so much information about an animal’s personality and behavior when it is available for adoption.
When the animal is ready for adoption, it is displayed at the CFP Adoption Center, at he Logansport Mall. The Adoption Center is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Saturday. Every dog or cat on display is current on its vaccinations appropriate for its age, and spayed or neutered if it is over 6 months of age. Cats are negative for feline leukemia virus (FLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Dogs are heartworm negative and on heartworm preventative.
Questions and requests may be made during Adoption Center business hours in person or by calling (574) 753-5575. During the week, this phone number connects to the CFP voicemail, which is checked daily by one of our volunteers.
The Adoption Process
Our goal is to match the right pet with the right home. In order to accomplish this, we go through a thorough interview process with prospective adopters. First, we will bring you and the dog or cat to the back part of the Adoption Center so that you can interact with fewer distractions. If you decide you would like to adopt the animal, the next step is then the application. Once the application is completed, there is a 2-hour waiting period. This waiting period gives CFP an opportunity to review your application, and gives you an opportunity to consider the decision to adopt carefully, without having big brown eyes or a rumbling purr melting your heart. If, after the waiting period is over, your application has been approved and you are certain you wish to adopt, you can come pick up you new pet.
The adoption fee is $70 for dogs and $50 for cats. If the animal you adopt has not been spayed or neutered, you will be refunded $20 of your adoption fee when CFP receives confirmation of spay/neuter from your vet. Having your new pet spayed or neutered is a required condition of the adoption contract.
How YOU Can Help CFP
CFP is always in need of donations and volunteers. Here are some ways you can help us:
Cash Donations-Veterinary expenses for an animal usually are higher than its adoption fee. Cash donations are always welcome.
Other Donations-We also need decent quality, dry dog and cat food, cat litter, dog treats such as pig ears, pet toys such as catnip mice and rubber chews, and leashes and collars (particularly Gentle Leaders). Other items we use regularly include paper towels, trash bags, copier paper, and air freshener. We also welcome donations of heartworm and flea preventatives.
Volunteers-We need both adults and youth to help on Saturdays at the Adoption Center. Youth need to be at least 12 years old and have parental consent. If you can’t help on Saturdays, please ask about other tasks. We often need help with fundraising events, such as making our all-natural dog biscuits.
Foster Homes-We always have more animals needing care than we have foster homes. A foster family had the following responsibilities: daily care for the animal, scheduling of and transport to needed vet treatments, social interaction with the animal, and transport to the Adoption Center when it is time for the animal to be adopted. Most foster animals are in foster care a minimum of 4 weeks, and there are cases where the animal is in the foster home for longer, due to a need for recovery from a veterinary procedure. We have need of all sorts of foster homes, for cats and dogs, puppies and kittens.
July & August Donors
A great, big, furry, THANK YOU goes out to:
Helen Herd
Michael Richie
Logansport Eagles
Mary Heath
The State Employees
The Anspach Family
Dotty Robinson
Ann McWhorten
American Legion Post #
The Marsh Shopper program
All donors at Bruno's Pizza
CFP owes a very special Thank You to National City Bank for inviting us to be the Business of the Month for August at their Mall Branch. We have greatly benefited from the increased visibility in the community. Also for their generous donation of $1000.00.
The Litter Box Dilemma
Every so often, we receive a call from a frustrated cat owner who has simply "had it." For some mysterious reason, their beloved feline has become "that animal" because it has suddenly stopped using the litter box properly. Sometimes the cat has started eliminating in a specific spot, or seems to purposely not use the litter box. Other times there doesn’t seem to be any pattern.
There are two main groups of causes for litter box mishaps: physical and behavioral. While you do not want to totally ignore physical causes, first investigate behavioral causes before aggressively pursuing a physical cause for a litter box dilemma. Here are some questions to ask:
- Is the litter box scooped daily? Just like we do not like to use a dirty bathroom, cats do like to use a stinky litter box. It needs to be cleaned out every day. Likewise, it is good idea to periodically empty the box and clean it with bleach or vinegar to cut down on the smell of ammonia. You may want to completely replace an old box, since the smell can seep into the plastic over time.
- Are there enough litter boxes in your home? The rule of thumb is one litter box per cat. This helps keep any one box from building up too much between scoopings.
- Is the litter box in an out-of-the-way location? Some cats are more particular about having privacy for their bathroom activities. They will avoid using a box in a high traffic area. Besides keeping the box in a more private area, a good solution is to use the enclosed litter boxes. These enclosed boxes also help cut down on the amount of litter kicked out of the box and tracked about, and eliminates misses by sloppy cats.
- Has there been a change in the litter box? Cats can be particular about their bathroom facilities. A change in litter, for example, can lead to total refusal to use the box. Cats can be sensitive to the texture and sound of the litter. Location may also be important. As mentioned earlier, the litter box may not be private enough for your cat.
- Has there been a major change in your household? A change or disruption the cat dislikes can cause a litter box problem. Obvious examples include a new baby, a move to a new home, a new pet, or a change in the household routine. In many cases, you can view litter box incidents as a form of civil disobedience. I once co-existed with an indoor-outdoor tomcat. I went my way; he went his. I never maintained a litter box for him-he always asked to go outside to do his business. Then we adopted a second, indoor-only, cat. The arrival of the new cat and her litter box upset the tom. Whenever he was in the house, he would defecate on the bathroom rug, next to the litter box. We solved the problem by picking up the rug whenever he was inside. He returned to his requests to be let out. End of the mess.
So, what can you do about a problem? You can start by addressing some of the issues I’ve described, such as cleaning the litter box, changing the type of litter, and increasing the privacy available to your cat during litter box visits. If the messes are a result of a change in the household, just identifying the problem can be a big step toward solving it. Every situation is different, and you know your cat best. You should be able to take steps to reassure (or appease) your cat or do further research into the behavioral issues once you have a good idea what it is upset about.
If you are concerned that the problem is physical, talk to your veterinarian. Your vet will ask several questions, including the ones I have just listed. Some other questioned you may be asked are:
- Is there blood in the litter box deposits?
- Is there a pattern to the timing of the misses?
- Have you changed the cat’s food?
- Does the cat cry out while using the litter box?
- Is the location of the messes consistent?
- Are the messes urine only, feces only, or both?
- Has there been a change in the consistency of the feces?
The vet may also want you bring in a stool sample to run tests at some point, and may want to collect a urine sample form your cat.
--by Jenny Vandeburg
Next issue: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Types of Litter
Being a Youth Volunteer
We have a program for youth volunteers. All kids ages 12 to 16 are welcome to help out at the Adoption Center on Saturdays. We allow younger children to also volunteer if accompanied by an adult. We need two youth volunteers, in two-hour shifts, between the hours of 11 am and 5 pm, to help walk the dogs and interact with all the animals to help their visit to the Center be as easy for them as possible. This is a great opportunity to learn about how animal rescue is done, and an excellent community service project.
In order to be a volunteer, just come into the Adoption Center on Saturday and pick up an informational form and a permission form, fill these forms out, and return them to the Center. Youth can also come to our General Meetings held on the second Thursday of odd months at 7 pm at the Adoption Center.
CFP Fundraising Roadblock
CFP will be holding a fundraising roadblock at the intersection of Sixth and Broadway. This major event on our fundraising calendar will be held September 20 and 21. We need all our volunteers, age 18 and older, to be sure to sign up to help out. Sign up sheets will be available at the Sept. 12 meeting and at the Center.
Remember to Continue Heartworm Preventative
Remember to continue to give your dogs heartworm preventative throughout the winter. Local veterinarian recommend year-round use.
Dates to Remember:
Sept 12 General Meeting, 7 pm, Adoption Center
Sept 20-21 Fundraising Roadblock,
9 a.m. to 6 p.m., 6th & Broadway
Nov 14 General Meeting, 7 pm, Adoption Center
Jan 10 General Meeting & Elections, 7 pm, Adoption Center
A Cause for Paws Officers
President Nancy Moore
Vice President Sandi Simms
Secretary Jenny Vandeburg
Treasurer Robin Jamerson
Check back regularly at our website: www.acause4paws.com
To Help A Dog or Cat:
If you have or are aware of an animal in need of help, please call 753-5575 and leave a message on our voicemail. We will do our best to help you, but please be aware that we often have a waiting list, particularly for foster care.
When you call, please provide as much as possible of the following information:
